An interesting study from the American Wind Energy Association shows that jobs in the wind industry increased seventy (70) percent last year. With 35,000 new jobs created in 2008, the wind industry now employs more people than the coal industry. For clean energy advocates, this is a huge milestone-but can it be sustained? Will wind energy continue to blossom and create more job opportunities?

First, we should examine how this boom came to pass in the first place. For one, wind energy is quickly becoming a popular idea. It’s one of the most rapidly expanding sources of energy in both the U.S. and Europe. In fact, out of all of the new electricity generation installed in the U.S. last year, wind energy made up 42 percent. This figure was no doubt due to the fact that there was a fifty percent increase in installed wind capacity, with enough megawatts coming online to power two million homes. Another key factor to the jump in jobs in the industry is the fact that in 24 states, new wind turbine and component manufacturing facilities were announced, opened, or expanded.

Texas continues to lead the country in megawatts of wind generation, but 2008 saw Iowa (which, like Minnesota, generates seven percent of its electricity from wind power) surpass California for number two on the list. Other states that are notable for their wind power are Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Minnesota. According to the study, Texas has the largest wind farms installed and Indiana is growing the fastest in wind energy (based on percentage).

With expansion and growth happening in so many different states, it should come as no surprise that wind power jobs spiked dramatically last year. When an industry gets bigger, an increase in manpower is required to ensure that it runs smoothly. Wind energy is no different. Expansion allows the need for more skilled workers in different areas. The workforce is greatly benefited by this expansion. For example, people who are capable of manufacturing turbines and their components will be needed. In fact, manufacturers of the turbines and their components created 13,000 jobs alone last year. Expansion also creates jobs for people who can both build and install turbines. It also creates jobs for people to operate and maintain them. Then there are all of the people who don’t have a hand in the actual workings of the wind turbines but who are just as important: the lawyers, the marketing departments, the administrative assistants. It takes countless people in a wide array of different positions to make the industry run.

Like any industry these days, the future is unclear. While there are many bright spots, the current state of the economy makes it difficult to predict what this year will bring. Some say it’s unlikely that 2009 will see the same gains 2008 saw. Layoffs have hit companies that produce turbines and their components; developers are having a more difficult time financing projects. Since wind energy is initially more expensive to develop than other power generators; interest in developing new wind farms will likely decrease during tough economic times. Less interest in developing wind farms will in turn lead to less jobs being generated in the field.

Still, others maintain that the growth can continue. They site factors like the economic stimulus plan that put billions of dollars aside for alternative energy and President Obama’s desire to dramatically increase our reliance on alternative energy sources. In fact, in a recent trip to Iowa, President Obama announced plans to allow off-shore wind energy production-a step clean energy giant Spain has also recently taken. Echoing the U.S. Department of Energy’s findings that by 2030 wind power could provide twenty percent of our country’s electricity, President Obama went on to say that this new step in alternative energy could create 250,000 jobs.

Having a President that is so dedicated to clean, alternative energy sources is a big bonus for the wind power industry. With the economy leaving everything shaky, the best thing any industry can hope for right now is high-level support. To continue at the level of success the wind energy industry is currently enjoying, policies need to be put in place and money needs to be committed to the cause. Luckily for the industry, they have the best ally and spokesperson they could ask for in President Obama.

Wind energy is a popular topic these days. The costs of traditional energy forms are increasing, which motivates people to look for cheaper and more reliable energy forms. It is necessary to be aware of wind energy as well as its usefulness when we discuss cheap energy alternatives.

While wind energy may appear to have many advantages over more traditional forms of energy, it too has a set of challenges that must overcome before it can be used in large-scale applications. If you’re considering using this form of energy in your home or if you’re just looking to learn more about it, this short article on will help you understand the basics.

Advantages:

1. It is virtually unlimited.  As the Earth rotates it is heated and cooled by the sun, wind occurs as a natural part of this process.

2.

 It is readily available in many regions.  While not all countries have the geography to make use of it efficiently, countries like the United States are investing millions to take advantage of this naturally occurring resource. 

3.  It is relatively inexpensive to things like oil and coal. With the exception of solar energy, all other forms of energy must be converted from their natural state to extract the energy within them. This process of conversion and extraction can be very expensive and manifests itself in kilowatt-per-hour costs. In competitive terms, wind has a lower cost.

Disadvantages:

1.

 It is intermittent. Although it’s true that it is a natural byproduct of the Earth’s rotation, there are still some periods in which went simply does not blow. Except for extreme cases, in regions were wind blows constantly, the fact that wind energy is intermittent means that a backup source of energy must be available at all times.

2. It is expensive to transfer. The most when the regions are generally very remote and sparsely populated. Due to their remote nature, the cost of transporting the harnessed energy is very high.

3.  It has a high installation cost. The machinery required to capture wind power on a large scale, otherwise known as wind turbines, are very expensive. These massive structures often have blades which measure over 100 feet in length and consequently require enormous amounts of manpower to install. 

Wind energy can be used everywhere due to the continuous activity and movement of wind. While it may be intermittent, it always resumes, is completely renewable, and is easily converted and used as energy.

Wind energy has been used for thousands of years. Humans began harnessing wind power approximately 5,500 years ago to sail ships. Following this, architects used wind-driven natural ventilation. Wind power as a mechanical device came in the 17th century BC when it was used for irrigation, and in 300 BC monsoon winds were used to power furnaces. These furnaces were constructed along paths of the monsoons, and were eventually able to raise indoor furnace temperatures to 1,100-1,200 Celsius.

The first practical windmills were built in the 1st century AD.

While contemporary windmills have a horizontal axis, early windmills had a vertical axis. People learned that windmills created power to meet their daily needs without taking from their already limited resources. Renewable wind energy allowed them to grind corn, draw water, and was used in grist milling and sugarcane industries. The first horizontal axis windmills were not developed until around 1180.

Currently, wind energy has become an even more popular source of renewable energy. The first contemporary windmills were developed in the early 1980s, and their numbers are continuing to grow rapidly. Wind energy usage doubled between 2005 and 2008.

Wind power converts renewable energy from the wind into a useful form, most often electricity. The most contemporary name for these devices is “wind turbine.” There are wind turbine farms, off-shore wind turbines, and small residential wind turbines. Many European countries have managed to double their wind generation, and over 80 countries around the world are using renewable wind energy on a commercial basis.

Wind farms are often large-scale and connected to local electric power transmission or the utility grid. Smaller turbines are often used residentially and users frequently sell back surplus electricity to the network.

Wind energy is renewable, and while it may be intermittent, this rarely occurs and any problems can be balanced with other forms of energy. Wind energy does not deplete fossil fuels, continues to be clean, and produces no greenhouse emissions. However, wind power can be problematic because of the visual impact.

Offshore wind farms can produce significant amounts of wind energy, but it is found that when they are placed in a straight line they can produce noise nuisance. Still, they do not restrict land and are equally beneficial.